So glad I found this place on a recent trip to Mesa Verde National Park! I love that they offer…read moresmoothies. I had a meal replacement smoothie as a healthy alternative to eating unhealthy diner food or breakfast served in a hotel. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Two youngsters were staffing the store when I visited. Very nice kids! This store offers a nice variety of products. I stocked up on healthy snacks and other food for meals while staying in Cortez. I highly recommend visiting and shopping here if you're ever in Cortez!

I live in the Cortez area and am a regular for their smoothies. They have the best smoothies and…read moretheir soup is good too! They carry pastries from Absolute Bakery, which is the best bakery in Montezuma County. This is a great place to pick up healthy groceries that you can't find anywhere else.

Better not be a white seventy year old male trying to buy a lottery ticket at City Market in Cortez…read moreColorado. You'll be asked for your age and ID and told you better not lie, we don't like liars. City Market is losing customers due to their employees bad attitudes and high prices.

Great store and they have everything you need. When I have a get together I usually make queso and…read moreget a large block of cheese. The lady at the deli was pissed that asked for a 2 lb block of Gouda instead of slicing it and then said next time you'll have to buy the whole block. I gave her the "you can go fuck yourself laugh" and went about my business. She is the only one at the deli that has ever been rude about making one cut. Other than that my experience here is great.

This is a really nice Safeway…read more I couldn't believe how clean it was. Nice polished floors, wide aisles, and well organized. We went there for flowers and they had a really good selection. When I commented to the manager about what a great store it was, he was very appreciative. I asked him if it was a new store. He said, no. I was so surprised. The only thing that showed the store's age was there were no self check out registers. Regular checkout was speedy and friendly. Anyway, you all know what a grocery store is. This is a nice one, with a personable staff.

What a great grocery store. We had a long shopping list from our family, and we found everything…read morethe list. Deli: lots of meats and prepared foods to choose from. They will make a custom sandwich and package up a salad too. Loads of prepackaged meats- ham, Turkey, chicken, roast beef several different styles and brands. Shelves were full on almost everything, we did grab the last container of Lysol Wipes. Lots meats and fish on sale, that helps the budget. On our list were many specific items that I'd never seen- they had them all. Treat: Cowboy Cookies oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips. Chewy and good $3.79 for a bag Fun stuff too: flowers, balloons, iced cupcakes Store was not crowded at all - Tuesday 3pm and the staff and checker were so helpful and cheerful! Great experience.

We were drawn to Esmeraldas Ranchito Mexican Grocery Store after reading the reviews lauding the…read moretamales served at this family run store. Esmeraldas, very interestingly, is situated in a former gas station with the gas pumps removed. I believe they serve most items the entire day, so we were able to snag our tamales even though it was only 8AM. There were a couple of other customers inside and it seemed like everyone only visits for the food and not so much for the groceries. I ended up having to order in Spanish even though everything on the menu is in English. It's not an issue though as the person working is very friendly and and patient. Half Dozen Tamale ($13) - They had four types of tamale available for purchase: Beef (x2) - This tamale is filled with ground beef and corn in a red chile sauce, lending a reddish color to the masa wrapper. The masa is a little on the dry side and crumbles apart quite easily, but it doesn't stick to the corn husk much, allowing the tamale to stay well together during the unwrapping process. The beef is pretty lean and isn't seasoned that much, so it's a rather mild flavor. Chicken (x2) - The masa in this tamale completely sticks onto the corn husk, making the tamale basically completely fall apart while trying to unwrap. This might be due to construction - this tamale has a ton of filling, probably more filling than masa. The filling is basically shredded chicken in a light green chile sauce, complete with chile seeds. Like the beef tamale, this one is also on the dry side. The texture of the chicken is very similar to canned tuna and sticks to the teeth while eating. It's very tender without any gristle. Pork (x1) - The pork is shredded well into almost a Chinese pork floss-like texture. Since we ate this later (not on the same day) we ended up steaming the tamale and I have to say that the reheating process really amps up the moisture levels and makes the masa succulent and the meat not necessarily juicy, but definitely not dry. Cheese (x1) - This one smells the best by far. The filling includes plenty of fatty cheese, giving moisture and a good mouthfeel, and is embedded with pieces of tomato, onion, and green chile. The flavors meld together quite well, and due to the extra moisture, this is the most pleasing to eat. I've had tamales before that are still very good even with lukewarm. These ones, on the other hand, have to be eaten fresh or otherwise reheated via steaming. With that being said, when fresh, the tamales Esmeraldas serves are just as the other reviews state - delicious.

My traveling companion wants to propose to Esmeralda. She is so lovely, and her chile cheese…read moretamales are the bomb. We stopped and got tamales on our way to Mesa Verde, and they were so good, we stopped again on our way back to Canyonlands for a refill.

If you're passionate about high-quality meat and supporting local ranching, Bell Beef Country Store…read moreis the kind of place you'll want to know about. Nestled just north of Cortez, this family-owned country store brings fresh, ranch-to-table beef straight from the pasture to your plate -- and the difference in taste and quality is something you can truly savor. What makes Bell Beef special isn't just the excellent product, but the story and people behind it. This operation grew out of decades of ranching experience, with Scott Bell raising cattle for years and his son Kasey and daughter Raedene, stepping in to help build the business into what it is today. The Bell family's hands-on approach means you're not just buying meat -- you're buying something they're personally proud of. Walking into the store feels like visiting a local favorite rather than a generic market. The selection is impressive: premium cuts, ground beef, steaks, jerky, snack sticks, and even bulk freezer bundles are all available, vacuum-sealed for freshness and convenience. It's obvious a lot of thought goes into every choice on the shelves, and customers often comment on how delicious and rich the flavor is. The staff is welcoming and knowledgeable, ready to help whether you're picking out something for dinner or planning meals for weeks to come. The community vibe here is strong -- people return again and again because they trust the quality and enjoy the personal touch. If you're in the Cortez area and want beef that tastes like it came straight from the ranch -- because it did -- I highly recommend stopping by Bell Beef. It's a true gem for meat lovers and a great example of local family business done right.

This 100% grass fed, free range beef is delicious! I have had ground beef, ribeyes, chuck roast,…read morestew beef, organ meat and suet and loved them all! Great prices, beating all online competitors I have seen! Free local delivery by the nicest guy! Keto or carnivore dieters, you gotta try this meat. For the rest of you, here is a dirty little secret that you will never hear from your doctor: grass fed cow's beef and organs are the most nutrient dense foods you can eat. www.meatheals.com www.carnivoremd.com

I found "Books" when I lived in the area, a decade ago. Since, this bookstore has been central to…read moremy visits to Cortez. They have ordered special requests and have a massive selection of literary classics. LOVE this store! Mark B.

Great service! The young lady behind the counter and who was waiting on everyone who came through…read morethe door, was exceptional! She knew the store forwards and backwards! My wife and I were traveling through Cortez and stumbled upon this wonderful bookstore. A massive selection in both hardbacks and paperbacks new and used. If your looking for a book or two this is the place to try!

Great little organic grocery store. We were greeted upon entering and found the store to be well…read morestocked with lots of quality items including prepared sandwiches in the deli area that were delicious during our road trip. (We did find a few of the people working a bit rude (the young woman working at the deli counter seemed to not want to be bothered to help anyone and then tried to overcharge us, the other was the woman stocking shelves who seemed very perturbed when asked a question about where an item was located. Not a good look, ladies!...but I find that behavior is more the norm and to be expected in Colorado small towns where everybody thinks they are healthier and better looking than everyone else! lol) If you're looking for quality products, and don't care about a little bit of attitude, this is your spot!

Sale items.. Why does NG have a sale for 3 weeks but only…read moreorders 10 bottles or so of Pineapple Juice, sells out in a day and then the shelf is empty but magically reappears after the sale is over?

Why aren't there 6 stars for those that are extra special? Maybe our friends at Yelp can consider…read morean exception here and there. This would definitely be up for The Big 6!!!!!! What a place. Superb service, amazing produce, fresh local meats and oh yes, the main attraction------bakery items. Fresh in house baked goods that make "slap yo mamma" good seem like a passivity phrase. I mean this stuff is scream worthy. The bagel and cookies are to die for, literally. I'm serious y'all and wait, the pies. Oh the pies. It should be a felony in Dolores to drop one of these magical creations. Triberry was WOW. Rhubarb was killer. What else can I say y'all? Go. Go Getchasum now. You cannot imagine what you're in for people. Pie day is on the way. Who needs a fork. Just go!

We were driving from Grand Junction to Mesa Verde, and this market was a random stop after getting…read morethrough the high-elevation mountain pass. It was an incredibly lucky stop! The market is well-stocked. The bathroom was clean. The sandwiches (we had a roast beef and turkey) were some of the BEST we had ever eaten, and quite affordably priced. We bought a tri berry pie, which had an excellent pie crust. The snacks we got for the road (cookies and brownie) were very good. Also, the cashier, a young man, was very pleasant and gave us a positive interaction. We just ate where we parked, next to the food market, and had no problems. All in all a highlight of that drive.

Was not expecting a place like this out here. I'm from Austin and this place made me feel at home…read more Fantastic quality delicious food. Beautiful place. Some of my favorite products. And the staff was so fun and helpful. We got 3 different kinds of sandwiches, toasted. Chili, pea soup, chicken curry salad, Asian slaw, broccoli salad, tortilla salad, almond flour cookies and lots of fruit and some drinks we'd never tried before. Everything was great. I also like how they have solar panels, compostable flatware and gluten free options.

I AM SO GLAD THEY ARE HERE!!…read more SO VERY GLAD, that I drive over from Cortez regularly. Those "premade refrigerator sandwiches" another reviewer bemoaned? They are then custom-grilled (maybe with love?, because they come out delicious!). There are seats outside on the upstairs patio. Gaze at Mancos Valley and Mesa Verde while you munch on a grilled sammich and a little bag of dark chocolate-covered cherries. Go on, do it; you won't be sorry! No place else to get many of these foods, and every time I go there I feel like my brain and heart shake out the dust and take a deep long breath.